The overall objective of the project is to develop a novel distributed optical fiber sensing system for real-time monitoring and optimization of spatial and temporal distributions of high temperature profiles in fossil power plant boilers. Specific objectives are to: 1) Establish a boiler furnace temperature distribution model and guide the design of the sensing system; 2) Develop the sensors with one active sensing element on each fiber as well as a temperature distribution reconstruction algorithm for proof-of-concept; 3) Develop the distributed sensing system to integrate multiple active sensing elements on a single optical fiber. The entire sensing system, after being fully integrated and tested in the university labs, will be tested on Alstom’s combustion test facility.

Project Benefits

This work will address the critical problem of achieving higher efficiency and fewer pollutant emissions in fossil energy power plants. The novel distributed sensor can have broader applications including measurements of strain, flow, velocity, and crack growth and corrosion for structural health monitoring of fossil power plants.